Apr 12, 2011

Chunks of chicken breasts coated in breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese then baked until golden. An easy chicken recipe your whole family will love! What can be more kid friendly than chicken nuggets, even the pickiest kids like them. Serve them with ketchup, bbq sauce or whatever you like to dip your nuggets into. Adults can serve them over your favorite salad for a satisfying lunch.

Kids love finger foods or anything you can eat with toothpicks so when my daughter was young I would make her a dish of bite sized goodies she liked such as tomatoes, olives, pasta, etc. and served them with toothpicks and she always cleaned her plate! Give it a try, your kids will be so excited!

Once I'm in breading mode I usually make breaded zucchini sticks as well and bake them all at the same time along with some pasta and a salad for a complete meal.

Put the olive oil in one bowl and the breadcrumbs, panko and parmesan cheese in another.

Season chicken with salt and pepper, then put in the bowl with the olive oil and mix well so the olive oil evenly coats all of the chicken.

Put a few chunks of chicken at a time into the breadcrumb mixture to coat, then on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the top with olive oil spray then bake 8 - 10 minutes. Turn over then cook another 4 - 5 minutes or until cooked though.

I haven't seen whole wheat bread crumbs in the store yet. I'm so excited to know about this! I love making homemade chicken nuggets. I have always made them with baked lays potato chips for a lighter version, but I love the sound of yours.

Gina, do you have a good guideline for the weight between cooked and raw chicken breasts? I know the points values are usually assigned for cooked chicken which weighs less than raw, but I am not sure how to guess this (ie, what does a 8oz raw chicken breast weight when it is cooked?). If I am cutting up chicken to use in a recipe, I won't be able to weigh it seperately when cooked. Thanks!

I used 8 tbsp bread crumbs since I didn't have any panko - and I had at least 2 full tbsp of breadcrumbs leftover after I finished dipping - so you might be able to get away with something even lighter :).

Definitely will eat again. I think the panko would have made it crunchier, maybe even given it a bit more taste, but they were delicious without it.

I also had to bake mine for about 5 minutes longer than suggested - which is common with my oven - to get them to be as crispy as the ones in the picture.

This sounds nice - recently, I tried a different recipe where the liquid to make the breadcrums stick was a mixture of buttermilk and mustard ( = less fat). Had a very nice taste, too... but I'll make sure to try this variation as well, especially with the parmesan cheese. ^^

I noticed when looking for whole wheat breadcrumbs for another one of your recipes that every brand, including 4C which you display here, has HFCS in it. Do you know of any brands that are HFCS-free? I guess I could always make my own, but I haven't been buying whole wheat bread crumbs for that reason.

This is the same mixture I have been using for Baked Chicken for years. Mixing Bread crumbs and parm cheese. SO good. I like to use a mixture of FF Italian dressing, lemon juice and water, to moisten the chicken rather than oil, though I bet the oil helps with crisping it up. Never though to make nuggets with them. Thanks!

you could freeze these by freezing the chicken without the crumbs in a freezer bag, and putting the crumbs in a separate small freezer bag, when you want to make them, unfreeze, and all that's left to do, would be to dip them in the crumbs (this is how I make chicken fingers).hope this helps !

I want that whole tray you made! The heck with any kids! ;) Seriously, everything you make looks SO good. Plus, healthy! I'm going to have to try the whole wheat crumbs, plus baking instead of frying. Thanks!Best,Gloria

If you want to make your own breadcrumbs, just dry out slices of bread first. Place them on a rack over a cookie sheet and put into a 250 degree oven. Test them every few minutes to see when they have dried out. It depends on the bread so I can't tell you how long this takes.

Cool. Break up into large pieces and put in a blender or food processor and give a whirl. I like mine a little larger so they are crunchier. Then season before using in any recipe. Gina's recipe is good, but sometimes I add some Italian Seasoning Blend too.

This is a good use for bread that is past it's prime and you can avoid HFCS or any other ingredient necessary.

I made this with your baked, seasoned french fries recipe last night. It was a super easy dinner to bake together, any my husband added it to the list of my list of greatest dinner hits! (It was a very short list until I found your blog). Much better than regular nuggets! Thanks.

I made this with a some chicken tenderloins that i had in the freezer instead of using chicken breast and I also didn't have the panko. But these were some of the tastiest, moistest, chicken "tenders" that i have ever had. Beat most restaurant fried ones (and restaurant chicken tenders are one of my favorite foods ever!)

My 2-year-old loved these! Much better than giving him the processed kind in the freezer aisle. He dipped them in ketchup and "ate them all gone", as he would say. My husband and I enjoyed them as well.

I love making my own chicken nuggets! It's so much cheaper and healthier. If I'm feeling lazy about it, I'll just use Shake-N-Bake to coat my chicken peices, it makes it even healthier to skip the oil.

This recipe came just in time! I was searching for a baked chicken fingers/ chicken tenders recipe and just couldn't find one that looked great. These are exactly what I was looking for. Can't wait to try them, thanks!!

You must have read my mind. I was just on the site looking for chicken nugget recipies last week. My son LOVES chicken nuggets and I hate giving him the frozen ones. So I going to make a few batches and freeze them so he can have it through the week. LOVE LOVE LOVE this blog. You have truly made it doable for me to change the way we eat, without giving up the foods we love. I have lost 12 pds so far on weight watchers and it's about 60% thanks to you, and 40% thanks to Beach Body workout videos.

I made this with shrimp last night. My husband is a really picky eater and he told me several times how much he enjoyed them! He already asked me to make it again! Thanks for the wonderful recipes, you're a life saver!!

These were so tasty! I was really surprised by how many the recipe made. I was imagining that a serving would just be three or four. I used 16 ounces of boneless skinless chicken thighs (because we had them on hand) but did everything else to the letter. So so juicy and delicious. My boyfriend went back for seconds

I made these for my son and a friend and we loved them. Everytime I have guests, I use your recipes because they always get compliments and thy keep me on plan. I actually liked the olive oil better than a buttermilk wash. It stuck better, didn't come off as much on the pan and were crispy. Plus the recipe was downright simple. This is my new go to nugget recipe.

I see people keep asking about freezing but with the simplicity of the recipe, there seems little point. If you just froze the chicken pre cut, the prep tim would be 5 min. No point in possibily sacrificing texture by frezing.

These were awesome!! My kids ate them up! I'm going to make a bunch and freeze them for later! Thanks for the recipe! I didn't have panko, so I just used a pkg of italian seasoned bread crumbs. But they were still good!

oh wow, these looks great...i make chicken nuggets by dredging it in flour, then egg and then he bread crumbs mixture, and then i fry it...these looks like a better and healthier alternative...will try this recipe tomorrow for my two girls...question though, how do you get it to brown like that when baking? does the olive oil do the trick?

Just made these and they are delicious! I didn't use Parmesan cheese as cheese tends to set me overboard lol (I'm a cheese addict, I can admit it) and it still came out awesome. Had enough to pack some up for lunch tomorrow :)

Gina- I made these tonight and only had panko in the house, mixed that with some fresh grated parm cheese and voila it was AMAZING... I was so full, but wanted to keep eating. The only thing that stopped me, was wanting to save some for the boyfriend to have for a snack or lunch tomorrow! Gotta share the wealth! Love your recipes and so glad I found your website!!!

Gina- as always, this recipe was AMAZING! I made these for dinner tonight along with your Lighter Baked mac-and-cheese... it was fantastic, guiltless comfort food! My fiance said it was a contender for his favorite meal I've made. :) Thank you SOOO much for your blog, I've found many favorites here that have made WW much less boring, and I pass it along to EVERYONE! Keep up the great work. :)

Making these tonight along with your slow cooked black eyed peas! Gina I just wanted to say thank you! I'm a college student that loves to cook and your recipes make it so easy to eat healthy and it still taste good! Every recipe of yours I have tried has been awesome.

I just made these chicken nuggets, and seriously the best chicken nuggets I have EVER had. I will NEVER buy frozen nuggets again. These we so easy to make and my husband and I both loved them. Gina you rock my world :)~Danielle

Gina, I made these for company tonight and they were enthralled. They made sure to enter your website into their phone for later before they left the house. My family loves your recipes. We've had the turkey meatballs, spinach lasagna rolls, and a few others. Thanks so much for making such a great site that houses easy, tasty, gourmet recipes for dieters!

I love chick-fil a nuggets. They are a huge weakness for me. However, I just made these amazing nuggets today, and OMG these are soooooo good. I love these things, I'm going to make them tomorrow for lunch. Thank you Gina, these are a winner!

Just made these today..and OMG they are delicious! My husband even loved them and asked me to make them again soon! Made some honey mustard dipping sauce to go with them...wow! Thanks for the recipes! Keep them coming!

Made these again with chicken breast this time (last time we used boneless skinless thighs) still soo delicious but I have to say that the thighs were way tastier and also cutting them into equal sized pieces was a breeze. Thanks again for the recipe

I just made them with your avocado chicken soup. Both turned out great! I must also say that I had about 3 tbsp of breadcrumbs mixture leftover. So next time I think I will put in only 4 spoons of breadcrumbs. Saving on the calories! :)I really loved these! I always assumed that since the chicken nuggets have to be fried, I would probably never be able to have them. But thanks to your recipe I get to enjoy them again!

I had another baked chicken nuggets recipe that I used to make that mixed oil with the Italian breadcrumbs & you dipped in egg first. this recipe topped this in calories (yours is less) and in taste. Thanks for improving even my "healthy" recipes! :) (My kids said this was the best recipe ever!)

I started making my chicken like this about a year ago and they are nummmy! The best part is that they are very quick to prepare after a long day at work. I hadn't thought about using whole wheat crumbs as a healthier choice I am going to have to give that a try.

Mmmm, that looks yummy.The most important lesson I have learned as a former overweight person is that I do not have to starve to lose weight! You see, most people believe that in order to lose weight you need to starve yourself and eat “rabbit food”. This is not so, you can eat tasty food and lose weight! What can I say? I am into healthy food and life. Thank you for your recipes and advice. You are an inspiration!

Best Chicken nugget recipe ever! Hands Down! I never thought to bread them in olive oil! I didn't use panko just left that out. My husband and kids gobbled them up! No leftovers! Thanks for the healthy recipe!

My son picked these off the site (he's 8) and made them for me for Mother's Day dinner...of course I helped...but he did wonderful and was so proud that he made one your recipes...very great recipe for chicken nuggets!

SOOOOO GOOD!Love making healthy chicken nuggets for my family, instead of the frozen "mystery meat" nuggets that you buy at the store!Thank You for all that you do! So HAPPY that I found this site....out of the ten recipes I have tried ALL of them are winners!

Between this recipe and using a variation on the chicken rollatini(the bread crumbs held on by lemon and a smidge of oil) I had some serious happy campers at my house! My older son told me that these were the best chicken nuggets, ever. This coming from my finicky kid! Even my father in law, who is not a chicken nugget fan, enjoyed them. They could not tell the difference between the two versions I made. Kat Proof Recipe! Thanks again Gina!Kat Creamer

Thank you, thank you - i just made this tonight and my 5 year old that sticks his nose up at every type of chicken except orange chicken, gobbled these up - my husband declared them delicious and my 15 month old chomped happily on them...these will be a regular in our household as my boys are chicken nugget lovers but I hate fast food nuggets. These are healthy, light and delicious.

OMG yummy!! and EASY! Last night we had garlic lime pork chops with fiesta rice and today these easy, yummy chicken nuggets!!! i'm usually so intimidated and lack creativity in the kitchen!! your website is truly inspiring, and i might actually enjoy cooking!! I enjoy that your recipes are few ingredients, quick, and easy!! These nuggets were delicious!! Maybe our "dining-out" expense will finally start decreasing!! THANK YOU!!!

Made these tonight... My two kiddos (ages 5 and 7) didn't like them, and I just can't figure that out, because I think they're delicious! I've seen this exact recipe in the community recipe swap area on WW.com, and it is listed as having 5 PP points. Any idea why the discrepency?

I just made these, along with your baked zucchini sticks and garlic biscuits. All were amazing! My husband says, "tell Gina thank you! You've never cooked like this for me!" haha he loves it! I've just discovered your site like 2 weeks ago and have made 10 of your recipes. All have been a hit! THANK YOU!-Kristen

SO yummy! (as your recipes always are) I didn't have panko but next time I will try it with it. I made some chicken AND shrimp. I mixed tobasco with the olive oil and used red pepper to season....spicy deliciousness!!!

This recipe got me addicted to your site! I have made these more times than I can count and they are always amazing - my only issue is figuring out a way to make them not stick to the cookie sheet. I also added a little more to these - I add balsamic, lemon juice, and sometimes a little garlic to the olive oil.

These turned out GREAT!! Seasoned them with some cajun seasoning first (we are big fans of spicy) and they were so easy, and so good. Made with the light mac n cheese. Yummy dinner. And I have been struggling with wanting some comfort food lately, so this just hit the spot! Thanks so much!!

I made these tonight for my family of 4 along with your zucchini sticks. The nuggets were a hit with all while the zucchini sticks were a hit with 3....can't appease everyone all the time. Thanks for the great tips.

Hi Gina!New to the blogging scene here. LOVED this recipe!!! Had a busy day so I only got to make these for dinner tonight, but I can definitely see using this recipe on a regular basis. SO much better than store bought!! Think I may even try cutting them in strips and using them for sandwich wraps for hubby!! YUM YUM!!!!

Made these tonight. My 2 yr old devoured hers, the hubby went back for seconds, and the 4 yr old (who isn't a fan of anything with meat) ate two of them! A huge round of success! Thanks so much!

Oh, and I originally picked this recipe out because my youngest is allergic to egg whites and soy. I liked that you used olive oil instead of egg. She also can't have most chick nugs b/c they have soy in them. So... thank you!

I discovered your site about a month or so ago and have tried many of your FABULOUS recipes! Your Skinny Cheesecake is now a family favorite. I finally got around to trying these and my family DEVOURED them! I love how easy they were - I even made a batch as a snack for my boys at 11:00 p.m. the other night! Thanks so much for all the work you must put into the site - love the photographs, too! Thank you! Thank you!

As I type they are in the oven I decided to make chicken strips and "patties" instead of nuggets, but they should turn out just as good.Also Gina, I couldn't find any whole wheat Italian bread crumbs at my local Kroger. Do you know what the difference in calories are?

I made these, let them cool, froze them individually on a cookie sheet, then bagged them in freezer bags. When we were ready to eat, I let them thaw some in the fridge and then baked. They turned out great. I actually made 3 lbs.

These were AMAZING!!! my husband wants me to make them everyday! we all couldn't stop eating them! I couldn't find whole wheat breadcrumbs so I used Italian flavored Panko, mixed with regular Panko and a parm & herb seasoning...delish!

Thanks so much for this recipe! We used to make chicken nuggets 'the old way' in a big vat of canola oil. Sure they were yummy, but that greasy feeling leaves your stomach unhappy. After loosing a lot of weight, this is the only way I will make them again. I followed the directions to the letter. The breadcrumb/panko/cheese method is just yummy! Pair with some pasta and sauce and your home smells like an Italian restaurant! :-) Thank you!

These totally remind me of the Shake-N-Bake chicken nuggets that my mom used to make me and my siblings when we were kids. It was my favorite thing in the world. I don’t have any kids either but I totally agree that we should know exactly what is going in our mouths (and theirs in the future). It’s time consuming, but important and worth it. Plus, it’s more fun!

I just made these and used a Wheatabix biscuits crumpled up instead of the bread crumbs. I think the parm cheese adds so much flavor. These were wonderful! And I love that there are no perservatives, fillers, etc.

Having these tonight, as in eating them right now lol. They are delicious! Our 23 month old loves them, hubby tells me they taste like "real chicken nuggets." We are eating with with strawberry and lettuce salad.

Hi Gina, I accidentally added the seasoning for your baked seasoned fries to your nugget recipe. Wow! They tasted fantastic and a little more grown up. Thanks for sharing. I just love your site and use it more than any of my extensive catalogue of cook books.Cathriona

Stumbled across your blog today while stumbling. I've tried several ways of cooking nuggets for my son and I think this might just work. I'm so over buying the frozen greasy nuggets and I'm more into whole food cooking. I also dip into the archives of http://www.gourmetnutritionist.com/ who also wrote The Best Homemade Baby Food on The Planet. I think a lot of your recipes work for wee ones. Nice work and thanks!

I made these tonight for my roommates. Although we've tried (and loved) some of your other recipes, we were a little doubtful about these because we love our fast food nuggets. They were phenomenal. I did leave out the bread crumbs, just using panko crumbs and I added more herbs. They were so crispy and juicy. Thank you so much!

I made these last night. I still can't believe that my entire family enjoyed them, even my picky 9YO!! OUTSTANDING! Slight modification was to use chipotle panko crumbs only and left out the parmesan cheese. Also, this was the first time that the breading actually stayed on the chicken :)

These are so quick and easy to make! I am a pharmacy student and live at home by myself, so between all the studying, it's not easy to find the time to cook! This such a delicious recipe! Definitely will keep making these as a study snack :)

I would like to make these using gluten free bread crumbs, but I'm concerned that using corn flake crumbs won't give it the same great flavor. Can you recommend any seasoning perhaps to add to the the cornflake crumbs or if there is possibly a gluten free shake and bake out there?

My son loves chicken nuggets so much I'm afraid he's going to turn into one. ;) I hate buying the prepackaged nuggets at the store because of all the other nasty ingredients in them. These look easy enough to make in bulk and freeze! Thanks!

I made these last night and we loved, loved, loved them! Can't wait to have them again. The Panko seemed to make a difference...I've never used that before, and glad I did last night. One variation was that I used the Perdue Perfect Portions that wefe pre-marinated in italian dressing, so I just cut up the raw chicken and put right into the breadcrumb mixture. They were so fantastic! Thank you, Gina!

I've made these several times and they are wonderful! Everyone who tries them really enjoys them! They are very similar to Chick-fil-a chicken nuggets. I recommend this recipe to anyone who wants a quick and easy meal or even a snack!